Following on from my post Solipsism, I have decided to discover who I really am. A few people who left comments on the post suggested that I really don’t exist. So who am I?
I would love to be an Expat, I even belong to the British Expat Forum. Although the moderators in their infinite wisdom, banned me, back in 2008 and I had to secretly reapply using a different name and e-mail address. But as a committed black-sheep (Pecora Nera) I was not surprised. Apart from being ceremoniously booted off the Expats website, there are also two other reasons why I don’t think, I fall into the category of Expat. The first one is, I was born in Malta and I am not sure if ‘us’ Maltese can be Expats, the second and fundamental reason is, I can’t afford to pay a Punka Walla, also Mrs Sensible draws the line at me sitting all day in the sunshine drinking gin and tonic.
Gin and Tonic plus a Punka Walla
Photo credit to Neither use nor ornament
This leaves me with either option two an immigrant or option three Zingero. I love the sound of Zingero, it is one of the few Italian words that I can pronounce. It also kind of fits in with the black-sheep image. Zingero is a derogatory term used to describe immigrants from Eastern Europe. However I think Mrs Sensible would throw a No 8 wobbly if I started filling forms in with Pecora Nera, a Zingero.
So I am left with being an immigrant. I have just read in the news that David Cameron our beloved leader is clamping down on immigrants entering the UK. Does this mean he won’t let me back into the UK when I need to stock up on Bacon and T bags? Life is so complicated. On Friday night, I discussed, who am I? with Marco over a couple of glasses of beer. We batted the question and answer back and forth as we shared a plate of chips. After much deliberation Marco gave his considered opinion. You are a stupid Englishman.
So now I know!!! When I fill out my application for my Italian Driving Licence I need to write Stupido Inglese.
Englishman in Italy 
Oh dear, Pecora, what an identity crisis you seem to be going through! Expat is a strange term, and gives me the impression that you’re not in your right place when you’re away from your country of origin, or that you’re there temporarily… I personally have decided that I am the village Mad Cow, and am quite happy with it.
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Now that is a really interesting thought. That would make me an Expat when I am in the UK, as I think I belong here. And as Mrs Sensible feels at home when she is in the UK, she must be the real Expat.
So you are the village mad cow and I am the black-sheep. Such fun.
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Old MacEurope had a farm, ee-i-ee-i-oh….
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Madness reigns in wordpress land
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I’d say you are an Expat. Surely an expatriate is one who is temporarily (although that could last a long time!) living in a country other than the country of their birth/upbringing. I would have thought that, as you were born in Malta and are now living in Italy, you are not in the country of your birth, therefore you are an Expat. The people on the Expat forum don’t know what they are talking about (or maybe you were booted of for other reasons! 😉 ) The word ‘expat’ doesn’t sound as exciting as Zingero though, I agree. 🙂
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Zingero is a great word. It sounds exotic.
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A bacon-munching sheep. You really are confused. 🙂
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Bacon munching when I can obtain supplies.
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I’m bringing home an extra bag this weekend so I can check in around 15 kilos of bacon and sausages on my return trip!
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15 kilos sounds like Cryinair.
I brought 5 kilos of bacon last time. But stocks are running low.
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Cryinair. How did I never think of that?! Brilliant. You better hope Michael O’Leary doesn’t find you either!
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As an impoverish Zingero / immigrant / Expat, I rely on Cryinair and Sqeezyjet for my trips to the UK.
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At least you have options!
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I call them Sleazyjet.
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Now I like that one, I will immediately, if not sooner, update their name on my bookmarks bar. 🙂
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for Italians, I consider myself and “emigrato”. For English, I am a “bloody foreigner”. I think the correct spelling for the other word is zingaro (not zingero) but then again, I have been an emigrato for such a long time that maybe Italian words and spelling have changed. Pazzo Inglese suits you fine.
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You are kidding me… Zingaro not Zingero!!!
Pants!!! I need to phone the printers quickly or the T Shirts will be all wrong..
David Cameron doesn’t like you Johnny Foreigners does he. 🙂
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I thought you said zingero is one of the few words you can correctly write and pronounce (apart from grappa of course)…… yep been paying my tax and NIC for 30 years to 4 of her Majesty’s right honorable Prime Ministers and Chancellors…. but I am still a bloody foreigner… 😉
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Until 5 mins ago, I thought I could spell and pronounce it correctly. However my balloon has burst again.
Mrs Sensible has been making noises, about sending me back to the local evening classes to try and learn some more Italian. Uffa!
You have been paying taxes in the UK for 30 years!!! Even a lot of English don’t do that.
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your balloon has burst again? you mean your ego?
back to the classroom!! (though I doubt evening classes teach words such as “zingaro”… ) 😉 Uffa! 😉
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I sat through 2 years of evening classes, it didn’t improve my Italian. It was like being a teenager again. “Have you brought your homework this time” “No miss the dog ate it”
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was it Gilda? naughty naughty Pecora Nera, always blaming Gilda…
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Honest, that dog will eat anything. The only reason the chickens are behind a fence is so Gilda doesn’t eat their vegetable peelings.
The fence don’t keep the hens in, because we don’t like clipping their wings. They take a run, jump and skitter over the fence to have a root in the garden.
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what a crazy household you live in, crazy Englishman!
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It’s a crazy country. I am the only Sensible one here, oh and Mrs Sensible of course.
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Just looked up ‘zingaro’ (yes it is an ‘a’ not an ‘e’) on google and it translates as ‘gypsy’ so you’re a ‘gypsy black sheep’ which I’d quite like to be described as actually, I think that’s pretty cool! 🙂
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Listen, you lot out there in wordpress land can stop ganging up on me.
And you lot, are all going to look pretty silly when I work out how to edit the word and correct the typo (see it was a typo not a spelling mistake) 🙂
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thank you!!!!!!!! someone else who knows how to SPELL !!
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RASPBERRY!!!!!
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hhii hhii hhhii we just love to wind you up!! 🙂
it’s bloody Monday come on!!
we have to find some fun somewhere!
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Speaking of Monday.
Do you know Italy is open on Good Friday, I was hoping for a long weekend.. What a lot of heathens. I am going to send an e mail to the pope and complain.
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uffa! are you going to write to the new Pope in Spanish?
oh well never mind, I am off to Croatia on Thursday for ten days, to fill the pool…. had enough of this snow and freezing weather here in Blighty.
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Why are you filling in the pool?? I thought it had just been dug. Is it in the wrong place? That would be typical of an Italian builder. 🙂
Of course in Spanish Tsk Tsk
I will use my English / Italian dictionary and then Mrs Sensible’s Italian / Spanish dictionary to get the translation. easy peasy lemon squeezy
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why I fill the pool? well it’s all like Faulty Towers you know…. AMEN !
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lol 🙂
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🙂 I’m learning Italian at the moment (finding the grammer really hard by the way!) as I am hoping to become a ‘zingaro’ (or should that be ‘zingara’) out there one day in the future myself! I figure if I learn some before I get there I may not have as much trouble as you percora nera but then if you weren’t having so much trouble I wouldn’t be having so many laughs!
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I married and Italian who is a teacher. . I have 3 Italian / English dictionaries (and one Yorkshire / English dictionary) I have lots of Italian grammar books. 2 different CD courses on how to learn Italian in 2 weeks. I work with a lot of motley Italians. I even live in Italy
If I can’t learn the lingo what hope has anyone else.
Give it up I say, try something easier like Chinese.
Besides it has taken me 51 years to learn English, and my blog is peppered with spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. So Italian is way, nay, way down the to do list.
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Well thanks but I’m going to soldier on, for now, at least I know that I’m not the only one that finds it hard (and I spelt grammar wrong what hope do I have!) Thanks for the laughs! 😀
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… and I keep forgetting to hit the ‘reply’ button instead of starting a whole new comment, it must be Monday!!! Can’t believe Italy is open on Good Friday!!!
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Me neither. I think I will just stay at home and pretend I didn’t know
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I have just looked at your blog. I think German must be harder than Italian. At least here we can wave our hands about, and pointing is acceptable.
The Germans use an excessive number of letters to create a word.
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I’m not fond of the German language… it sounds too ‘harsh’ to my ears, I much prefer the beautiful and expressive Italian language, including all the hand waving, I think that’s part of what makes it so great!
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Me too. I think it sounds beautiful. I haven’t a clue what they are on about, but it is beautiful.
Mrs Sensible used to have a lovely Italian/English accent. But she is a perfectionist and her English is….English, no beautiful sexy Italian accent.
The only time her Sexy Beautiful Italian accent comes out, is when she is angry with me, and what use is that??
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It’s better than nothing! Quit complaining, at least your IN Italy, not freezing cold in Great Blighty… 😀 Where’s Spring got to??? Humph!
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I don’t see Mutley complaining about the snow. She looks like she is enjoying it.
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Mutley doesn’t care what the weather’s doing as long as it doesn’t stop me taking her out for her daily romps!
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Reblogged this on misentopop.
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What?!?!?! You have to stock up on bacon in the UK??? Don’t they have bacon in Italy???? OMG, I have to rethink my whole life now. Seriously. Well, maybe not my whole life, but it is a big blow. I definitely will have to rethink breakfast!
BTW, thanks for the like on my new My Sicilian Home blog. Any suggestions or comments from a fellow Stupido Inglese (or Canadese in my case) are more than welcome!
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Any comments, hmmm let me see. Bring humour and bacon, the rest you can buy on Amazon.
I love Sicily. I am slowly working my way south.
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*laughs*
Us black ones don’t fit into forms. : )
A wonder….
Have you ever put “Druid” in the religion box?
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